Kicking Some A** and Summer Fun

My MOMS Club had their monthly Moms Night Out on this past Friday night, and this time we did a self-defense class. I thought it was going to be a session where we all sat around and watched some moves and were given tips like, "always have your keys out when you walk to your car." But, it was the exact opposite - very interactive and we spent the whole time practicing punches, kicks, knees to the groin, how to fight off a choke hold, etc. It actually felt very empowering to be throwing punches and kicks. Plus, it was fun. The best part for sure was watching my friends, who I know primarily in their capacity as Moms, throwing punches and dodging blows. Very surreal. I definitely got a "kick" out of it.

We are in the midst of a full-blown heat wave here. Four days of temperatures in the 90's is predicted, and then it's going to cool off to the upper 80's. It's mind-boggling how fast the temperature can change... Thursday and Friday, the highs were in the 60's and then Saturday, it hit 99 degrees at our house. There is this car dealership near my gym with a temperature reading on the sign. Every morning this winter, I would drive by that thing early in the morning, while it's still pitch black outside, and it would read something like 4 degrees. Yesterday, I drove by and it said 96 degrees. I just find that fascinating how extreme the temperatures can be here, and how we are all able to adapt.

We had our first day at the pool today... the water was cold, but it felt sooo good. The kids were really great about playing in the water with us when we first arrived, but then as it got closer to lunchtime, they kind of started to lose interest. I also did my first open water swim of the season this morning with my friend Jen. Neither of us has wetsuits, so I think we were both pretty apprehensive about the water temperatures. But, the water was actually quite nice. I think the water at the lake was actually a few degrees warmer than the water at the pool! It was gorgeous there this morning, and I'm hoping to be able to swim in local lakes and ponds a couple times a week for the rest of the summer.

Brandon went to a birthday party yesterday at a local gym. Really cool facilities for kids, but I have to say that I found the whole thing kind of stressful. There were two teenagers responsible for watching around 25 four-year-olds, and it just seemed like the kids were all over the place - swinging on ropes and dropping into a foam pit inches away from where another kid was; kids were butting in line so that some kids went through the obstacle course 3 or 4 times before some other kids even had one turn. It boggles my mind when I see parents who just watch their kids pushing around other kids or butting in line, and they just don't say a thing. Anyway, I felt kind of on edge watching Brandon, but he had a blast and none of the near-collisions with other kids seem to phase him. And only one kid was taken off crying, so I guess those teenagers working there figure, "hey, only 1 kid out of 25 hurt himself, I must be doing pretty well!"